(PF) Dagger Commando

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Ive been working on a ranger build recently, and after a few tangents, I've started looking into a TWF dagger ranger for various reasons:

1.) Ranger is a stealthy character that still pull off the commando knife wielder archetype I am looking for. I would say 'Rogue' initially, however I have increasingly found the rogue lacking in consistent damage. I have spent A LOT of time optimizing rogues, and yet, they still come up short without a flanking buddy. Thus, Ranger.

2.) it is much easier to carry around a cold iron, an adamantine, and a mithril dagger than to carry around 3 different one or two-handed weapons.

I am well aware of the flaws of TWF, and I've designed a switch hitting ranger for PFS as a result. However, i think I commando ranger with daggers could be fun. the issue of course, being how to remain effective in combat.

I am considering Quick Draw, to be a sort of "switch Hitter": TWF to act as a sort of rapid shot while throwing daggers, and closing for melee afterwards.

Any ideas or help for this concept would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Ravens_cry]

Two weapon fighting ranger really doesn't work that great. It takes a lot of feats, and DR really hurts. As a ranger, most of your bonus feats come to late to really be of much use as you probably already have them.
If you don't want a flanking partner, have you tried the Scout Rogue archetype? It gets Sneak Attack on a charge. It can combine with the Knife Master for d8 with certain bladed weapons for sneak attack.

[Keneth]

I can't help but imagine a ranger with no undergarments charging in with a couple of kitchen knives. :smallbiggrin:

Even though rogues aren't always consistent damage dealers, I have found rangers thoroughly lacking in that department as well. Not sure if there's any way to sufficiently optimize a ranger so that it becomes better than a rogue as a damage dealer. Full BAB helps to mitigate the difference though.

[Doorhandle]

Two weapon fighting ranger really doesn't work that great. It takes a lot of feats, and DR really hurts. As a ranger, most of your bonus feats come to late to really be of much use as you probably already have them.
If you don't want a flanking partner, have you tried the Scout Rogue archetype? It gets Sneak Attack on a charge. It can combine with the Knife Master for d8 with certain bladed weapons for sneak attack.

No Pounce is avalable without 10 levels of barbarin or a druid's wildshape, however, which will limit damage.

A ninja has a limited amount of ablity to get concealment and thus does not nessicaly need a partner, such as through invisible blade, smokebomb, and it's bigger brother blinding bomb. Switch-hitting can work well for this class, because it can spend a Ki point for another attack, or 2 extra shuriken attacks: useful when you get surprise at a small distance.

You could also be a feint-buggy, but that takes up more feats and you're already a bit taxed, but two-weapon feint means that you don't need a standard action for it.

[Bhaakon]

The easiest way to get reliable SA on multiple attacks without flanking is to use Shatter Defenses, which will give you SA against shaken foes on all attacks after your first hit. It's pretty feat intensive, though, which is an even bigger problem if you're going TWF. It also doesn't come on line until level 8 at the earliest (and then only if you spend rogue talents on feats). Combine it with the Rake and Scout archetypes to set up SA chains.

If you want to get a little weird, 4 levels of cavalier and the horse master feat will net you a full-strength mount as a dedicated flank buddy. Taking the remaining levels in knife master for the d8 sneak attack dice will mitigate the loss of rogue levels. You can also qualify for shatter defense a level earlier if you take this route.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

sure, I can make a scout:

STR 10
DEX 17
CON 14
INT 13
WIS 14
CHA 10

20 point buy

1 Finesse
1 Iron Will
3 Toughness
5 Charging Hurler
7 Combat Expertise
9 Imp. Feint
11 Imp. Iron Will

Rogue Talents
2 Fast Stealth
4 Surprise Attack
6 Weapon Focus-Dagger
8 Offensive Defense
10 Hunters Surprise
12 Crippling Strike

traits:
River Rat
dangerously curious

The problem with a scout build is that you are playing a straight rogue until level 4, and which point you get Scout's charge. At level 8! you get your skirmishing ability. the problem besides the late growth is that any enemy with Uncanny Dodge is immune to your charge or skirmish. OF course, this can be mitigated with a flanking buddy or imp. Feint, the former which requires a buddy (obviously) the other which is tactically unsound. Sadly, Spring Attack has errata which negates its use with Skirmish.

The damage is situational.

With a Ranger, you can use Hunters Howl and later Instant Enemy to improve damage. Beyond that, I don't see too much that one can do. The DR issue could be overcome with different special materials, but actual damage is still low.

Again, damage is still very situational.

[grarrrg]

This isn't necessarily what you're looking for, but it is decent nonetheless.

Druid 4/Ranger X
Druid is World Walker (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/archetypes/paizo---druid-archetypes/world-walker) Archetype, this gives/stacks Favored Terrain.
Shapeshifting Hunter (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/shapeshifting-hunter) feat stacks your Ranger/Druid levels for Favored Enemy and uses of Wildshape.
Shaping Focus (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/shaping-focus) counts your Druid level as +4 for Wildshape (for reference a level 8 Druid can Beast Shape 3, Elemental Body 2, or Plant Shape 1)

Choice of Ranger Archetype is up to you, although you'll probably need/want the Boon Companion feat to make up for the "Ranger level -3".